


catalyst

by AirFireWaterEarth



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Heavily relies on LSW, M/M, i can't write present tense ):, idk man, kinda happy ending??, ooc maybe?, shouldn't be too bad tho, so. many. ellipses., whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 17:52:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15418356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirFireWaterEarth/pseuds/AirFireWaterEarth
Summary: Fushimi Saruhiko has, thus far, never truly fulfilled his promise to Yata Misaki--- to really say things in a way even an idiot can understand. Three years later, a forgotten figure finds themselves saying it for him.





	catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like everyone's just kinda... forgotten about Aya. But she did some kinda fucked up shit. And I don't think she ever really got like a resolution (though I could be wrong). Also, you're probably not going like this fic very much if you don't know who she is. Not like I'm assuming or anything but I know a lot of people on instagram don't know about LSW. I know a lot of people on here do, though.
> 
> I'd tell you to go read her wiki page but they actually doesn't tell you what she did. SO, quick background knowledge if you've forgotten or whatever: 
> 
> Oogai Aya is Saruhiko's cousin who asked out Misaki. She explains she wants him to go with her to try and board the Silver King's blimp to fulfill a JUNGLE challenge. Being the giant chicken he is, Misaki asks Saruhiko to go with him. So by the end of a couple of plot points, they become a friend group. Time goes on, Misaki and Saruhiko decide they want to drop out of school and move in together. Aya catches wind with this and confronts Saruhiko saying she thinks he's making the wrong decision and to drop Misaki because he'll basically only ever be an average person and blah blah blah. Saruhiko says some things that eventually leads to Aya saying that she hates Saruhiko. There's another encounter with her later, but the only new thing revealed there is that she's joined the green clan, making Saruhiko and Misaki her enemies since they've joined the red clan. They're like 'cool' and that's that. So Aya decides the best way to get back at Saruhiko is to plant a virus in Saruhiko's phone that makes him hallucinate his dead father telling him fucked up things like how Saruhiko would 'rather kill himself than tell anyone'. Now, it's kinda stupid that Saruhiko doesn't get that maybe something is off here but then again he grabbed his father's corpse and started screaming at it so maybe not. Eventually Munakata tips him off and Saruhiko defeats Aya at the game she made (where she continues to masquerade as his dead father). Like, two minutes later Munakata and Mikoto show up and have him choose a side and... the rest is history. 
> 
> Anyhow, I'm terrible at summarizing so hopefully everyone already knew this anyways!

As glasses clink and people laugh and chatter, Oogai Aya reluctantly takes a moment to decide where she went wrong.

 

Aya is rarely wrong, arguably _never_ wrong (except in this case obviously), but the fact is: there was no place Aya wants to be less than here.

 

Visually, HOMRA is a nice bar. The wood is of good quality, the drinks of favorable brands. But, in Aya’s reality HOMRA is like walking into a nightmare.

 

So the main question is: how did she get here?

 

It began with an invite from one of her roommates to go into the city. _That_ city. Aya hates that city, and yet she agrees. Aya admittedly doesn’t get invited to go places often, so that must’ve been the slip in judgement.

 

But it was a big city, and no territory anymore, since the slates had been destroyed, so Aya realizes she must’ve slipped up later because clearly that hadn’t been her mistake.

 

They went to a shopping mall. No wrong there. Ah, there was that school they visited. One of the girls Aya went on the trip with had a sibling on Ashinaka Island. In retrospect, going with her was another slip up.

 

But how was Aya supposed to know Yata Misaki would be there, returning some material to another one of the students? No, Aya didn’t make a mistake there either.

 

So, the only real mistake Aya made was agreeing to meet that night at HOMRA’s bar.

 

Misaki turns out to be his usual self. He tries to act more cool and mature but Aya sees through that. After some talk, Misaki gets called back by a blonde man in glasses to help with something and Misaki sulks off to do so.

 

And now, Aya is alone, pondering. There are a few other people there, but Aya seems to be the only true patron in the bar—- the rest look to be members of HOMRA. Aya feels like she is bathing in dirt. She hates HOMRA, but mostly because they are uneducated individuals that somehow got somewhere in life when they really shouldn’t have. Aya hates Scepter 4 more. They are actually smart, and had actively (well, maybe actively was a bit of a stretch) prevented her from getting the green aura. Considering her superior intelligence and timing, Aya is sure she could have become J rank had the blue king not tipped off Saruhiko.

 

 _Saruhiko_. At the thought— and as some sort of symbolism—, Misaki emerges. He goes back to babbling about whatever and then some, and Aya wonders why Saruhiko gave up absolutely everything to be with someone like him. Someone so stupid, someone who would never really get anywhere.

 

Someone who would never truly love him back.

 

Aya lets out a huff at the thought. Why is she being so… depressing? Really, in the end, she won. She didn’t beat Saruhiko at _her_ own game, but Saruhiko— ultimately— lost his own game. He loved so much he went insane as his father, and that is something Aya should cherish. Even if he is better now, 3 years after the Dresden Slate has been shattered, all he’s ever done is accept that he’ll never get what he wants and _that feels so good._

 

“What’re you laughing at?” Misaki looks a bit miffed at Aya’s amusement. He must have been talking about doing something grand or whatever.

 

Aya looks into her glass. “Nothing.”

 

Misaki is suspicious and asks Aya about what she’s been doing as of late.

 

“Mm, studying and stuff. Aya’s, like, at the top of Aya’s class and this is, like, a break Aya went on with Aya’s friends.”

 

Misaki looks happy for her. Stupid.

 

“That’s right! You go to high school. Is it cool?”

 

Aya sighs. “Misaki, Aya is, like, in university.”

 

Misaki frowns and looks at the counter.

 

“Oh yeah, right,” he laughs sheepishly, “I forget about being… grown up and stuff.”

 

Aya figures.

 

Misaki clears his throat. “So, that’s all you’ve done? Study? What, uh, what _was_ high school like?”

 

“Easy.” _The easiest part was torturing Saruhiko_.

 

“Oh, cool!” Misaki brightens. “Yeah, I wouldn’t last a day. I’m not made that way, I guess.”

 

“You wouldn’t.”

 

A laugh from somewhere in the back of the room erupts and Misaki starts to yell at them. That’s when a young girl catches Aya’s eye. She has white hair and is staring at Aya in a… not _accusing_ way, but somewhat pointed and definitely knowing, as if she could read Aya’s thoughts.

 

Misaki introduced them, Aya remembers. Her name is… Annie. Anne… oh, _Anna._

 

Aya decides she’s going to play nice and talk to her.

 

“Hello! How are you?”

 

Aya’s smile feels more fake than it usually does. Something about this girl.

 

Anna looks at Aya and takes a moment to respond.

 

“I’m okay.”

 

Her voice is soft and her eyes now stare into Aya’s soul.

 

Misaki notices their interaction and jumps in.

 

“Anna does well in school too! She’s HOMRA’s pride ’n stuff.”

 

Aya smiles and pretends to care.

 

Anna’s voices cuts in unexpectedly.

 

“Are you… one of Saruhiko’s monsters?”

 

Is she… what?

 

Misaki seems like he’s thinking more or less the same thing (although he’s clearly used to hearing things like this). “Nah, she’s one of our old friends from middle school. She’s actually Saru’s cousin… I think.”

 

“Aya is.” Aya supplies.

 

A large, blonde man yells over to Misaki, “Aren’t you and Fushimi meeting at that bar tonight?”

 

Misaki nods over at him, “Yeah, we are. But he works late so I’ve got time.”

 

Aya tilts her head. They’d even had a reconciliation.

 

Too bad. She guesses he never learned his lesson.

 

“You should talk to Saru, too!” Misaki adds. “You can come with me tonight, if you want.”

 

Anna tugs on Aya’s sleeve, making her jump. Anna doesn’t say anything, but her entire aura radiates the fact that she agrees… but in a much less inviting manner. Like she _knows._

 

Aya can’t help it. Her smile turns into a scowl and she pulls her arm away.

 

Misaki, of course, doesn’t like this.

 

“Hey, don’t disrespect Anna!”

 

This catches the attention of some of the other people in the bar. Suddenly, all eyes are on her. Rage burns in Aya’s chest, but she looks over at Anna and gives her a thin, forced smile.

 

“Like, maybe later.” _Much_ later. “Aya has, like, things to do. Actually,” Aya pretends to glance at her watch, “Aya has to do those things, like, now.”

 

Aya fishes through her purse to hand the blonde man with glass a sufficient amount of money. Even the blonde man looks at her suspiciously.

 

That is it. No sugar coating it, today is a mistake.

 

Aya gets up to leave and Misaki tugs on her sleeve.

 

“Hey, Saruhiko did stuff to me too. If you guys just talk it out, you’ll feel better. Trust me, no one know better than me!” Misaki gives that million dollar smile that Aya knows her cousin fell victim to. Even her 12 year old self did too, for a moment. But Saruhiko never saw into Misaki’s uselessness. Aya did.

 

“Saruhiko didn’t do, like, anything to Aya.” Aya said shortly.

 

“Aya did something to Saruhiko.” Anna adds.

 

Aya’s shoulders stiffen.

 

“The only thing Aya, like, did,” She spits, “is show Saruhiko that he is being stupid.”

 

She stares at Misaki dead in the eye, all of the hatred she’s felt pouring out of her, like a broken dam.

 

“Like, _really_ stupid.”

 

In the end, Aya had offered advice and protection all those years ago. All Aya had done was prove her point. Sure, she’d lost the battle.

 

But, in the end, any battle was needless. The war was won by reality. Saruhiko is smart. Maybe, in the end, smarter than Aya. But Aya knows something the world doesn’t.

 

Misaki doesn’t even get it now. His face is contorted with bewilderment. His hand is still slightly reached out. Stupid. So, so _stupid_.

 

“What did he, like, ever see in you?” Aya’s question comes out as a whisper at first, “How were you: this _idiot,_ this, like, misguided child— his only goal in life? He could have done _anything_ , he _would_ have become someone great. But all he wanted to do was to follow you. So he deserved it. When he ruined his life, when he took after his, like, freak show of a father— he deserved it. When-when you… you…”

 

Aya’s voice has quickly become louder, taking up the entire room, but now she’s a loss for words. Aya herself doesn’t exactly know what happened and how it happened, just that Misaki did something that led to Saruhiko tearing himself apart.

 

Almost everyone expect Misaki and Anna have actually _averted_ their eyes from her.

 

“I _what?_ ” Misaki exclaims. He doesn’t look upset but he’s definitely not pleased he… ah, he’s frustrated. “I didn’t do anything to him! I don’t get it. I’m always left in the dark unless I suddenly understand something I obviously don’t! If I did something, tell me! Tell me what I did.”

 

The room is dead silent. No one utters a word. Yet the tension is thick, and about a person that isn’t even present nonetheless.

 

“You didn’t do anything.” Aya finally says, “You were just, like, you.”

 

Misaki grabs his hair in frustration.

 

“Then what’s the point?” He yells.

 

“You’re so stupid.”

 

“You’ve _said_ that!”

 

“You’re too stupid to realize he’d in love with you.” Aya finishes.

 

The man behind the counter fumbles at the glass he’s been cleaning. A few others in the room cough. Misaki… Aya refuses to look at Misaki. Aya hates Saruhiko. She doesn’t like Misaki either. But she know she said something she shouldn’t have. But it’s been done. The words that have been hanging in the air since the night on the rooftop— back when they were twelve, have been said.

 

Aya is never going to admit that what she did seven years ago was wrong. And she won’t apologize for this either. But now… now that it feels like she’s gotten everything off her chest, Aya feels better. So deep down, somewhere beneath all the layers of pent up disdain, Aya hopes that Saruhiko and Misaki can finally do the same.

 

Once again, Aya is the catalyst. Perhaps to something a little bit better this time.


End file.
